The ridges of the fields are used as chopping boards, and the fodder is used as paint? Recently, a young man born in the 1980s who was dubbed the male version of "Li Ziqi" by netizens became popular on the Internet. He does not need paper and pen, but only uses a pair of skillful hands and lobster feed to draw beautiful paintings in the countryside, attracting millions of netizens to "watch".
Chen Liang paints with crayfish feed. Picture/Jiupai News Cai Xiaoxuan
This guy’s name is Chen Liang, and he comes from Liangzihu District, Ezhou, Hubei Province. The small courtyard where he lives is hidden on a country road in Nongke Village, close to his crayfish breeding pond and rice fields. During the day, he is an employee of a sewage treatment plant and a farmer working in the fields; at night, he is a "field artist" who paints with his fingertips.
After becoming popular on the Internet, his "Brother Liang Courtyard" became a place for Internet celebrities to check in. Every weekend and holiday, "fans" attracted by Chen Liang's artistic talent will come from afar to ask for his advice and buy calligraphy and paintings. Gradually, his small courtyard became a "utopia" for experiencing the countryside, attracting many city residents who yearned for rural life to come here to barbecue, cook, and sit around the quaint tea table to chat.
[1] Farmers become “fingertip artists”: a single calligraphy and painting can sell for nearly 10,000 yuan
Chen Liang's job is a sewage treatment plant worker, and he is also a crayfish farmer who also grows lotus seeds and rice. Traveling around the countryside all year round, he has always regarded writing and painting as a hobby and has never studied systematically.
Chen Liang works in a crayfish breeding pond. Picture/Jiupai News Cai Xiaoxuan
It was this hobby that allowed him to discover a unique way of creation in his ordinary farm work. Once when feeding crayfish, he accidentally scratched the crayfish feed bag. Looking at the feed scattered on the ground, he remembered that he had used lotus seeds to make a map of China.
Chen Liang painted alone in the courtyard. Picture/Jiupai News Cai Xiaoxuan
In order to avoid waste, he tried to use these feeds to create a portrait of Andy Lau, and unexpectedly found that the feeds were easier to display than lotus seeds. He posted his work online and received many likes.
From then on, Chen Liang, from a star to a historical figure, would paint with lotus seeds, lobster feed, rice and other crops whenever he had free time. He can be seen everywhere among the fields or on the floor of the courtyard. He accompanied the natural wind and listened to the background sounds related to the characters he painted. He listened leisurely and found feelings, and was used to enjoying the things he loved at his own pace.
Paintings released by Chen Liang. Picture/video platform screenshots
In his paintings, the shadows, outlines, and proportions of facial features are all the same as the original ones. Many netizens praised him as "a talent delayed by crayfish."
Chen Liang said that after finishing his farm work, he would look at hot topics on the Internet and look for popular figures that netizens pay attention to. These are his inspiration materials. Sometimes, more complex paintings take four to five hours and use four to five kilograms of feed. After finishing the painting, he took photos and videos, and then continued to feed the crayfish.
Later, he began to think about using his fingers to dip his fingers into ink and draw on paper. Unexpectedly, his first finger painting also received widespread attention, and even attracted customers to order more than a dozen of his calligraphy and paintings. "I started painting all night, from night to dawn." He clearly remembered that in August 2023, he sold more than 8,000 yuan of calligraphy and paintings in that month.
Chen Liang shows off finger painting. Picture/Jiupai News Cai Xiaoxuan
After seeing Chen Liang's video, a restaurant owner in downtown Ezhou invited him to write and paint on the wall of his store. "This is my first time to paint in a high-end venue, which is equivalent to my first time stepping onto the stage."
This "fingertip artist" instantly became an "Internet celebrity" in the village. With more than 300 video works, he attracted more than 10,000 fans, and the highest number of video views reached 8 million. Chen Liang suddenly received a flood of traffic. He said that he never thought that he would be a self-media person, nor did he think that he would become popular.
Works displayed in Chen Liang’s studio. Picture/Jiupai News Cai Xiaoxuan
After receiving attention, Chen Liang insisted on creating every day. Slowly, orders for bonsais, murals, reliefs, etc. began to arrive. However, Chen Liang sometimes feels "frightened" by the sudden recognition. “Although I haven’t tried many of them, I agreed to them first.”
Perhaps due to his innate talent, he always receives unexpected praise after completing customer orders. In this way, he tried and explored, and even found the feeling that "he is very powerful." Today, he can earn 70,000 to 80,000 yuan a year from selling calligraphy and painting works.
【2】My own farm has become a place for Internet celebrities to check in: Netizens from all over the country come to experience pastoral life, and the "even-match" model will be implemented in the future
Approaching the small courtyard where Chen Liang paints daily, a sense of poetry and painting comes to mind. The plaque at the door, the indoor landscape layout, the small garden outside the door, every plant, tree, brick and tile here were all built by Chen Liang himself.
"Brother Liang Farm". Picture/Jiupai News Cai Xiaoxuan
After seeing Chen Liang's vlog video, many fans left messages wanting to visit his courtyard. Occasionally, they would buy favorite calligraphy and paintings when they saw them. Since the courtyard is close to the crayfish breeding base, many people come here to order crayfish. Chen Liang said that last month, more than 13,000 yuan of crayfish was sold, and business is much better than before.
From just one person guarding the yard, netizens from all over the country come here to admire it. This small courtyard full of artistic atmosphere has gradually become a place for Internet celebrities to check in thanks to Chen Liang's "popularity".
Netizens from all over came to have dinner. Picture/provided by interviewee
The enthusiastic "Brother Liang" will prepare wine, food and tea to entertain fans from all over the world. "There are crayfish, eels, crucian carp, loaches, and native chickens here. They also grow a lot of vegetables. You can pick whatever you like when you come here."
During holidays, "Liangge Farmhouse" is always very popular. At its peak, it attracts more than 30 people to experience rural life, including tourists from Guangdong and urban residents of Wuhan and Ezhou.
Chen Liang was deeply impressed by a netizen who came all the way from Beijing. "He drove here alone. It was raining heavily that day, so I cooked a meal for him here. He has his own house in Beijing's Second Ring Road, but he asked me if he could live here and help me manage the courtyard for free."
The courtyard was decorated by Chen Liang himself. Picture/Jiupai News Cai Xiaoxuan
Chen Liang said that many people want to stay in small courtyards and yearn for pastoral life. But the courtyard is only 300 square meters, and he has no idea of expanding it. "If you come to visit the park, my place is really small. If you come to nourish your mind or experience country life, my place is enough."
Inspired by netizens and fans from all over the country, he decided to undertake research and team-building activities in the courtyard and implement the "even-team" model, where everyone can come here to learn calligraphy and painting, fish for lobsters, and cook. At the same time, I also want to make more like-minded friends and share local culture with more people.
Jiupai News reporter Cai Xiaoxuan Yu Zhaochen
Editor Wu Di
